Where We Belong
by Midgard's Spitfire Guardian
Summary: What do you do when the only home you've known your whole life is possibly all a lie? One girl's entire existence is called into question which will lead her to ask the tough questions. Where does she truly belong? In the world of Hueco Mundo with the Espada she loves, or in a complete new world she knows nothing about? GrimmjowxOC Hotaru (Formerly known as A Place to Truly Belong)
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

* * *

It was a quiet night, something the tiny girl always enjoyed, especially when it could easily get loud and rowdy in the area she lived in. She looked up at the night sky, the brightness of the stars reflecting against her orchid-colored eyes and ebony curly hair. She was a tiny child for being four years old. Most of the people in the town she lived didn't bother to even give her the time of day, whispering and ignoring her for the most part whenever she was around. But every other day, it seemed that some soul would take pity on her and give her something to eat. She stood up and started walking, that is, until she accidentally bumped into a group of drunks that had decided to roam the streets that night.

"Watch it, little bitch!" The tiny child began to back away in fear knowing it was dangerous to be where she was right then, but the group began to beat and kick her until she fell on the ground and began coughing up blood. They laughed and left her to slowly choke on her own blood.

"H-Help." She managed to whimper before closing her eyes, unconsciousness taking over her being completely. _'Someone please help me...'_

* * *

Grimmjow was pissed. No scratch that, he was beyond fucking pissed. How was it that he was the one stuck in the damned world of the living with Ulquiorra, and on top of that stuck doing meaningless shit for that bastard Aizen.

"Grimmjow, glaring at me will not make this mission go any faster."

Grimmjow snorted, cocking a brow up as he narrowed his eyes at the current bane of his existence. "It sure beats the hell outta walking around with _you_ 'gathering information'. We ain't even doing shit! Just walking and more walking!"

Ulquiorra sighed inwardly, keeping the stoic look to his face before placing his hands in his pockets and continuing to walk ahead. "Then you may stay in this vicinity, as long as you don't get into trouble or kill any civilians." Ulquiorra silently opened a gargantua, turning his head back to look to the sexta. "Grimmjow, I'll be back within an hour." He stepped into the gargantua and was gone.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and began walking around, sneering at the humans who couldn't see him. "Fuckin' Ulquiorra for being stupid and leaving me behind in this fuckin' town, with a bunch of-" He stopped when he felt something grab at his leg. Groaning, he looked down and froze in place as he saw a small child completely coated in her own blood it appeared.

"What that- Oi! Oi brat! Can you see me?" The child just stared at him with wide orchid colored eyes. Grimmjow sighed and turned around to walk away, eager to get away from the brat but the little girl only tightened her grip on his hakama. She stared up at this man, eyes wide as saucers and her mouth taking an o shape. He was so...tall. So different...

"P-Please..." she whispered. Grimmjow's eyes slightly widened. So she could see him. But how? As he bent down to get a closer look at her, he first noticed her bright violet eyes, but he wasn't so blind that he could also see the lacerations and bruises all over her body. Eyes narrowed to slits as he placed a hand to the top of the child's head.

"Oi, how'd you get those cuts?" The little girl smiled weakly at him before falling over, face first in her blood.

Grimmjow sighed "Great. Oi, brat! Don't you even think about dying on me!" He didn't know why her living or dying concerned him, but it did, and that pissed him off even more than he had been originally. Without thinking twice, he picked up the tiny limp body and sondidoed back to where Ulquiorra had first left him, and look who just finally managed to show up.

"Ulquiorra! Took ya long enough to get back here, now you listen to me..."

Ulquiorra merely held a hand up to silence the sexta, his gaze going to the unconscious child in Grimmjow's arms before nodding once. "I see you brought the child Aizen-sama wanted. Surprising considering how brash and clueless you truly are at times. This saves us both a lot of time."

Grimmjow snarled at the Cuarto's words, his grip tightening on the small girl. "What the fuck?! You mean Aizen sent us here just to pick up this brat?!" His cyan colored eyes moved to the tiny body, hearing a tiny whimper as she shook.

Ulquiorra sighed and held an arm out. "Grimmjow, hand her to me."

His eyes narrowed, snorting before asking. "Why?"

"Because, you fool, she's obviously losing blood and you holding her like that is not helping. So hand her to me, now. This is not a request. Should anything happen to her, it will be your head that Aizen-sama takes." Ulquiorra's face was as emotionless as ever, his eyes never leaving the child in the sexta's arms.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes but grudgingly gave her to the emotionless Espada. "Yeah, what the fuck ever. Not like I care anyway, just take us back."

Ulquiorra silently nodded, extending a finger to open a Gargantuan before stepping inside with the girl in his arms.

* * *

She woke up groggy and disoriented with no memory of how she ended up in this large white room. The last thing she remembered was…the man with the strange hair and eyes...

"I see you're finally awake." She sat straight up at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and cried out in pain. The voice tsked and she managed to look over to see just who was talking to her.

"You shouldn't be moving around so much, you've been out for about three days, which is surprising that you weren't out longer considering all of the internal injuries and broken bones I found." Lavender eyes widened as she realized that the voice belonged a man with pink hair and glasses. She said nothing but merely thought to herself it was odd... He gave a malicious smile to the young girl, leaning down to peer at her more closely. "My name is Szayel Aporro Granz. I'm the Octava Espada, and your name is…"

She opened her mouth to speak when suddenly the door to Szayel's lab fell down and several of the Espada waltzed in, Grimmjow leading the way.

Szayel's eyes narrowed and he pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "Do you mind, Grimmjow? I was just about to get her to talk! And did you really have to break down my door? It _was_ unlocked after all!"

Grimmjow smirked and shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant way. "Whoops. Guess you'll have to have Aizen-bastard take it out of my paycheck, now won'tcha?"

The girl looked at all the Espada who she knew nothing about, curling up into a little ball as though that would help her hide from their gazes. It was at that moment that her stomach decided to growl, causing her to stare down as she felt the gazes of the strange beings on her.

The Espada looked quizzically at her until Stark yawned and said "She's hungry. Someone get her something to eat."

Szayel nodded and sent one of his fraccion to fetch her something to eat while Ulquiorra walked toward her, his hands in his pockets. "Do you know why we brought you here?" She stared up at him in wonder of his strange appearance. Tilting her head to one side, she reached a hand forward to touch at the pale white uniform he wore.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed slightly before he spoke up again. "I'll ask you one more time, child. Do you know why we brought you here?"

She snapped out of her trance and quickly shook her head, scooting to the other side of the cot, afraid of what he might do to her.

"I see...Well in any case, Aizen-sama will reveal that to you later since you don't know." She nodded her head, not knowing or caring who this Aizen-sama was.

"What is your name?" She blinked at him, not understanding what exactly he was asking.

"Your name. You have a name, correct?" Her eyes darted from Ulquiorra and she looked around the room helplessly, hoping that maybe someone could help her.

Halibel frowned from under the uniform covering her face. It seemed so wrong the way Ulquiorra was questioning the poor child and so she stepped in between the fourth Espada and the girl. "Ulquiorra, perhaps she was never given a name. Therefore it seems pointless to question her over something she may not even have."

Something stirred inside Halibel as she stared down at the child now smiling up at her, and before she even knew what she had done, she picked the child up and stared down into a pair of wide lavender colored eyes. Her own eyes widened at how light the girl felt. "Szayel! Where is that fraccion of yours? She's starving! She needs to eat!"

Szayel nodded and hurried outside, not wanting to face the wrath of Halibel's motherly instincts. When Szayel left, Halibel lifted the tiny child in front of her to get a better look at her.

"Alright, little one, after Szayel gets back with some food and after you eat, you are going to need a bath, and some new clothes. Hmm…it looks like you also need a hair cut." Halibel inwardly sighed, already picturing just how much her Fraccion would enjoy having the little girl around...

* * *

Ulquiorra stood outside Halibel's room, knocking several times with no response. Trash...They were all trash. He heard things dropping and female laughter before the door opened, revealing an annoyed Apache.

"Aizen-sama requests a meeting of all the Espada." Apache rolled her eyes and attempted to close the door. "He also requests the child be present as well."

"Yeah yeah, got it. Halibel-sama will bring her to the damn meeting, now go away so we can get back to business." Apache stuck her tongue out at Ulquiorra before slamming the door in his face, going back to whatever it was that the females had been doing before Ulquiorra's arrival.

Ulquiorra sighed, put his hands back into his pockets and proceeded to walk to the meeting. The other Espada, save Halibel, were already present and sitting down.

Grimmjow snorted as Ulquiorra took a seat across from him, tilting back and staring at the ceiling with a bored look on his face. "How long we gotta wait for this fucking thing to start?"

"As soon as the child is brought, then we shall proceed. Or was that not made clear, Grimmjow?" The Espada all turned and looked at the screen in which Aizen's face was showing. Once all eyes were on their leader, he began to speak again, this time speaking directly to Ulquiorra.

"Ulquoirra, where is the child?" The slight displeasure could be easily heard in his tone.

"I told Halibel's fraccion that you wished for both of them, but…"

At that moment, Halibel walked calmly into the room. She bowed at the screen "Forgive me, Aizen-sama. I was preparing the girl for the meeting."

Aizen silently nodded his head before speaking again. "I see, very good and where exactly is she?"

Halibel moved to the side to reveal that the girl was now clean, hair now cut to a nice length down her back, wearing a white dress with long sleeves with the length hitting at her feet, she also wore black shoes similar to what the other Arrancar wore.

The girl looked up at Aizen in fear, slowly backing up. Aizen's eyes slightly widened, but was able to maintain his composure before smiling and speaking "Please don't be scared. We aren't going to harm you. You were brought here for a very special reason."

The fear still remained in her eyes, not sure what she should believe at that point. She knew none of these people, had been taken away to this place she had no idea about and, and... She suddenly felt herself being picked up and looked up to see who now held her. It was the one she met first, the one with the teal hair and piercing cold eyes, but for some reason she felt at ease with this one. She smiled up at him, curling up against the male, which in turn made Grimmjow roll his eyes.

Aizen cleared his throat before speaking up again. "Do you have a name, child?"

She looked up at the screen again and slowly shook her head to indicate she did not.

"I see. Well, then I suppose I shall give you one." She just stared back at the face on the screen. It wasn't as if she had much of a choice, now did she?

Aizen closed his eyes for a moment, not taking any time at all before opening his mouth to speak. "Hotaru."

She blinked at him before opening her mouth. "H-Hotar-ru?"

Aizen nodded his head, pleased with the response. "Yes, it was a name admired by a dear friend of mine and I believe it will suit you just perfectly. From now on, you will live here with the Arrancar and Espada. Is that fine with you, Hotaru-hime?"

She slowly nodded her head, unable to speak again.

The fearless leaders lips coiling to a slow smile before he nodded in return. "Good. And I expect all of the Espada to help take care of you, so you will ask them for anything. You are my ward now, Hotaru. Princess of Las Noches and you will be treated as such."

Hotaru nodded her head before smiling up at Grimmjow and then looking around at all ten beings at the table. It was odd to the girl. For so long she had been all alone, but now...Now she had something to live for. Was this what she had always heard of as...family?

* * *

Chapter 1

(13 years later)

"HOTARU! Where the hell did that brat go?!" Aaroniero was livid to say the least. While he had been taking a nap, Hotaru had taken a marker and drew graffiti all over his glass helmet. Even though he had no direct proof it was she, he had little doubt since she was always pulling pranks whenever she could.

Aaroniero slammed Szayel's door open before barking out at the Octava Espada. "Ok, where the hell is she?"

Szayel managed to look over his shoulder and glared at the Nuevo Espada in return. "If you mean Hotaru-hime, why do you think she's with me? She _is_ Grimmjow's subordinate after all."

Aaroniero narrowed his eyes, even though Szayel couldn't see through the helmet the Aaroniero wore. "I know that," Both sides hissed. "But Grimmjow isn't here, and I know that she... What the fuck is so funny?!"

Szayel had been trying his hardest not to laugh at all of the obscenities on the Nuevo's helmet, but by that point it was moot not to laugh in response. "S-So, is that w-why you're," He laughed even harder. "After her?"

He glared at the pink-haired scientist, hands clenching to fists. "Yeah, and when I get my hands on her, I'm gonna strangle the little bitch to death!"

Szayel stopped laughing instantly at the threat to Hueco Mundo's Hime. Narrowing his eyes, he opened his mouth to retort. "Well, you better not let Grimmjow or Aizen-sama hear you say that. Remember what happened to poor Ilforte when he said something against Hotaru-hime? Grimmjow beat Ilforte so badly that to this day, he still has a slight limp when he walks."

Snorting, Aaroniero rolled his eyes and turned to head toward the door. "Yeah, well Grimmjow better start keeping his lil 'hime' in line, or I swear…"

Szayel rolled his eyes and waved his hand "Whatever you say, but can you please go now? You're disturbing my precious research time."

"Fine! But if you see the brat, let me know."

"Fine, fine. Just get out!" Aaroniero stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Szayel sighed before a slow smirk appeared on his face. "You know Hotaru-hime, if you keep playing tricks on Aaroniero, he just might try to carry out his threats."

A head shot out from under Szayel's table, a huge smile on the girl's face. "Aww, but Szayel-san, I couldn't resist it! You have to admit it was pretty funny after all."

He smirked as Hotaru jumped up and brushed herself off. "While it was funny, you have to realize that you can't be making enemies with the Espada, even if most of them fear Aizen-sama's wrath more."

Hotaru rolled lavender colored eyes. "If you say so..." She hopped onto Szayel's table and watched quietly for a few minutes while he worked, her legs began to kick back and forth after a few moments. "Hey, Szayel-san?"

"Hmm, what is it?" He asked, not even looking up from his research.

"You know when Grimm and the others are coming back? Seems like it's been forever and all..." Szayel lifted his head for a split second, grinning inwardly as he saw the tiny blush on Hotaru's face.

Ah yes, Hotaru's obvious feelings for the Sexta she served under. It amazed Szayel how the only one who didn't know about Hotaru-hime's feelings was said Sexta. Hmm, he wondered if that betting pool over whether or not Grimmjow would ever figure it out was still on...

Szayel sighed before waving a hand flippantly toward the door. "I'm afraid I have no clue when they'll be back, but I think Halibel might be with her subordinates on the top floor if you wished to go see them."

Hotaru brightened at the prospect of seeing Halibel and the girls, nodding her head quickly. "Ok! I'll just get out of your hair then, Szayel-san! And...thanks." Hopping off the table, she gave the Octava a big hug before he could stop her and then rushed out of his room.

Once Szayel was sure he was alone he sighed, pinching at the bridge of his nose and shook his head before muttering under his breath. "I pity the male that ends up with that bundle of energy." Smirking after that last thouht, he went back to his work and research.

* * *

Hotaru ran through the halls searching for anyone at all. Halibel and her fraccion weren't around at all. Damn, she'd have to make Szayel pay for getting her hopes up like that. Suddenly, she sensed… A bright smile came over her face as she squealed.

"He's back!" Her bounding steps took her in the opposite direction of where she had originally been walking. She weaved and ran between the different Arrancar that were in the hall, yelling out sorry over her shoulder every so often.

Hotaru knew Grimmjow and his fraccion were back and that more than anything made her happy. Just to know that he was back and she could see him once more. A blush once more creeped onto her face as she pictured his smirking face, but as soon as her spirits were lifted, then she became disheartened once more.

She knew that he was the Sexta Espada and therefore could get and had gotten any woman he wanted. Why on earth should he even think about looking her way, after all, he only saw her as 'brat' the nickname he had given her when he had first rescued her from her untimely demise.

Her steps slowed as her mind began to think over this, and as she turned the corner, lost in her thoughts, she bumped head first into someone.

"Hey! Watch where… O-Oh! Forgive me, I didn't see you there!" Staring back into her face was the face of their prestigious leader, Aizen Sosuke.

"G-gomen! I didn't realize… I was being clumsy! Please forgive me!" Blinking, she looked at him and finally realized that he was actually there! "Aizen-sama? Wait, I thought you were in Soul Society."

Aizen slowly smiled, seeing the young woman who had bumped into him. "I was in Soul Society, but now I've come to Las Noches to govern over the lands of Hueco Mundo. My my, Hotaru-hime, you've grown into a beautiful young woman. You've recently had a birthday now, am I correct? Seventeen years old?" He took one of her hands in his own, helping her stand to her feet.

Hotaru looked away in embarrassment, fidgeting in place before pulling her hand away from her lords own. "Y-Yes, Aizen-sama, I am seventeen now, but I'm not beautiful…" At least, not beautiful enough for the one she truly wanted to care about her, she thought bitterly to herself.

Aizen chuckled and placed a hand on top of the girl's head, almost as if he could sense what she was thinking. "Nonsense, Hotaru. I'm sure you have all of the Arrancar vying for your attention."

Her cheeks flared up at that and she felt her fingers play with the material of her long white sleeves. "U-Um, well I…" So nervous she was, that she hadn't even sensed the presence of one she had been seeking out...

The self-proclaimed leader of Hueco Mundo chuckled and lifted his head, staring the Sexta Espada right in the eyes. "Ah, Grimmjow, how kind of you to join us. Since you've finally shown up, I will take my leave and prepare for the meeting with the Espada."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes at the contempt in Aizen's voice, but Hotaru turned and smiled as brightly as possible. "Grimmjow!" Before she could stop herself, she had thrown her arms around the Sexta and beamed up at him. "Where the hell have you been?! I've been worried sick about you!"

Seeing the way Hotaru clung to the male, Aizen felt his brow furrow ever so slightly. But just as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared and his face became the perfect visage of calm. "Well, I must be going, I'll just leave you two be. And Grimmjow, please make sure not to be late to this meeting."

"Ah come on brat! I made it back, didn't I?" Grimmjow smirked and put his arm around her shoulders which instantly had Hotaru squeaking and pushing against him. "G-Grimmjow!"

"What? Aizen said he was leavin'." He sighed before shaking his head. Honestly, he didn't get why Hotaru always got flustered when he did this sort of stuff with her.

Aizen turned and began to walk off trying not to let his true feelings show in regards to Grimmjow's contempt, but not before turning back and witnessing a brilliant smile come across Hotaru's face as she looked up at Grimmjow. Something in his chest tightened slightly and in his mind, he pictured another girl with long ebony hair, wide orchid eyes, fiery stubborn personality, and a gorgeous smile most women would kill for.

"Ohayo, Aizen-taichou. What'cha thinkin about?" Aizen snapped out of his trance and looked over at Gin who was now grinning from ear to ear. "Ahh, are you thinkin' about…"

Aizen waved his hand "It doesn't matter, Gin. I need to be getting back to the business of Hueco Mundo. Do you know if Ulquiorra has returned yet with Yammy?"

Gin felt his grin slowly widen, realizing he had caught Aizen thinking about another certain someone. "Not yet, but was I right? Were ya thinkin' 'bout…"

Aizen began walking off, leaving Gin behind with the sentence unfinished. "As soon as Ulquiorra and Yammy return, let the rest of the Arrancar know that a meeting will take place."

Gin nodded his head and followed Aizen, that fox-like grin never leaving his face. Ah, to remember the good old days.

* * *

Hotaru sighed as she laid on her bed looking at the ceiling. She had heard that Ulquiorra and Yammy had just returned from their mission in the world of the living and that Aizen-sama had called a meeting as soon as they returned.

She sighed, staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression. "You know, I never thought things would get so boring around here. This sucks!"

"Geez, brat, and I never thought you'd be in your room moping."

Hotaru sat up, grinning from ear to ear at the sound of the one voice she loved to hear. "Grimmjow! How did the meeting go? C'mon, spill!"

Grimmjow smirked as he swaggered across the room and sat himself down on her bed. "Ulquiorra was too chicken to kill a fuckin shinigami. So me and the rest of my fraccion are going to the real world to kill us some shinigami!"

Her eyes widened and she froze in place, fear instantly creeping its way into her being. "W-What?"

Grimmjow grinned in his usual sadistic way, proud of this fact. "Yup, and I bet'cha Ulquiorra won't be able to stand it! I can't wait to see the look on that bastard's face!"

She sighed and looked away. She looked back to Grimmjow when she felt his hand on top of her head. "Oi, brat, what's wrong now?"

She narrowed her eyes at Grimmjow, grumbling before yelling at him. "You just got back, baka! I'm your subordinate, but yet you never take me anywhere! If you go to the living world, then I wanna go too!"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Yeah right, I'm not takin' you. You'll just get in the way, you brat."

Hotaru gasped and proceeded to beat at Grimmjow with her fists complaining that he never let her have any fun, but it had no effect on him. Grimmjow merely sighed, placing a hand to her forehead to hold her back with ease, giving her a blank stare all the while before growling out through grit teeth. "You're not going and that's that!"

Hotaru pouted and began to whine like a child would. "But, but I wanna go!"

Cyan colored eyes narrowed as he snarled. "There is no way in hell you are coming with us, and that's final!"

* * *

It was a quiet night, all was calm and peaceful in Karakura Town until a gargantua was opened and 5 arrancar stepped out.

"Hey guys! Fancy seeing you guys here too!" The arrancar looked in front of them and saw their 'hime' perched on Grimmjow's shoulders smiling at them.

DiRoy slowly gave a calculating grin and couldn't resist. He shrugged his shoulders, grinning all the while. "Oi boss, I thought you weren't gonna let her come."

Grimmjow glared at him, hands jamming into his pockets as Hotaru crawled onto his back and clung to him. "She managed to talk me into it, somehow, someway…"

DiRoy slowly grinned, unable to stop himself. "You just can't resist her when she gives you those eyes. It's alright boss, we know how it really is."

If looks could have killed, then DiRoy would have been dead right there on the spot. "Shut. The. Fuck. Up." He turned around to look at each of his subordinates, deadly serious right then. "Alright, if you sense anyone with reiatsu, kill em! I don't care if they're civilian or shinigami!"

Hotaru jumped in front of Grimmjow and beamed, jumping up and down. "Oh oh! What about me, Grimmjow?"

He grabbed her shoulders gently and pulled her face close to his with a grin. "You just stay outta our way, got it? I'm not gonna let you run around and get yourself hurt. You're _my _subordinate after all."

Her face flushed furiously and she quickly turned her head so Grimmjow wouldn't see. "Y-Yeah," She whispered with a tiny smile on her face. "I got it." With that, she quickly flashed out of the vicinity, unsure just what was out there for her to find.

* * *

**So for those of you who have followed this story for the past few years, I'm revamping it, fixing grammatical errors and just polishing some things that bothered me when reading over it this time around. It's still far from perfect but I'm doing what I can to fix it. I don't want to change too much up since it was the very first fanfic I ever published so I'm feeling sentimental. Sue me. *laughs*  
**

**For those who are just now reading this for the first time, I hope you like it! This was a fic I wrote on another account and since I'm moving everything to the account I have now, I decided to fix things up here. Again, yes I am cheeky half-demon who is the original author of this fic and this is my new account. **

**I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter and feel free to leave me a nice review if you liked it, but no flames please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well here's the next chapter! What will await Grimmjow and Hotaru this time? Keep reading to find out! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Hotaru and any other OCs that may pop up in this story!**

* * *

"I'm sorry Kaname, I must have misheard you. Please repeat what you just told me."

Aizen Sosuke's cold eyes narrowed, pure rage seething within him at what his general just informed him of. It couldn't be possible that the Sexta was truly stupid enough as to take Hueco Mundo's precious hime into the world of the living.

The dark-skinned man quickly bowed to one knee, his head bowed as well as he gave a quick nod. "Yes, I'm afraid so, Aizen-sama. I was just informed that several hours ago, Grimmjow Jeagerjacques took Hotaru-sama into Karakura. Grimmjow's fraccion have recently left as well, more than likely to join Grimmjow."

Closing his eyes, it took every ounce of inner strength not to lash out at his lackey. Especially considering the shit-eating grin Gin was currently giving them both.

"Oh no, now this ain't good at all. Is it, Aizen-taichou? What on earth are we going to do, I mean what if lil Hotaru gets herself hurt out there? You don't want to break your promises that you've made, now do you?" Gin knew just what he was doing. After all, baiting others was one of his better talents and he easily sensed the anger from within his leader. Oh yes, this was going to be good...

Brown eyes snapped open and Aizen Sosuke slowly turned his head, giving a knowing smile to Gin before turning to Tousen. "Kaname, please go and retrieve Hotaru and Grimmjow. I'm afraid we'll have to remind our Sexta how detrimental it is to put Hueco Mundo's future leader in any kind of harm's way."

Standing to his feet, Tousen gave another bow. "I will make haste and retrieve Hotaru-hime as quickly as possible. Grimmjow shall not get away with this!"

A slow smirk made its way across Aizen's face as he leaned his head over, propping it up on a fist as he watched his general leave hastily. He had just the punishment in mind for the arrogant Espada...

* * *

Hours later from when she first left Grimmjow, Hotaru was on her back floating across the night sky. And well... She let out an aggravated sigh and huffed.

"Man, this sucks! There's nothing to do!" She turned around and started floating on her stomach, staring down at the town below her and the inhabitants within. She had felt great bursts of reiatsu coming from different parts in town and to her it wasn't fair! Why did they all get to fight and she didn't?!

She crossed her arms and pouted for a minute before a smirk coiled against her lips. "They can't do anything about it if I just 'happen' to find them in the middle of a fight." She then dove off in a random direction, not thinking twice about where she was going or what she might run into.

* * *

Renji fell to his knees, gasping for breath. It had taken everything he had in him to defeat Ilforte Granz, and now he was dead. Fuck, if he hadn't been allowed to use his full potential, he more than likely would be dead instead of the Arrancar.

"Aww, you killed Ilforte! Grimmjow's probably not gonna be too happy about that!"

Renji instantly froze in place, his hand going to Zabimaru as he looked all around and tried to find the owner of the sing-songy voice.

"I'm up here, Shinigami-san!"

He heard a giggle and instantly his head shot up. As Renji looked up, his eyes were met with the sight of a girl with long, jet-black hair, bright orchid eyes, wearing the white uniform of an Arrancar smiling back at him.

"It can't be...There's no way." His mind took him back to a time about 20 or so years ago...

* * *

_"Again, Abarai! We aren't stopping until you manage to knock me down!" _

_Renji growled as he tried to get to his feet again, his eyes meeting a set of narrowed orchid-colored eyes. "It's too much, Omori-san! My body can only handle-"_

_A laugh interrupted him."HA! That's a joke! Your body is only as strong as you make it, so are you telling me that you're weak as hell? Or is it you just don't want to hit a woman? Che, really Abarai, I didn't realize you were a coward." Omori Akina smirked and flipped her long ebony tresses back, her zanpakutou slung across her shoulders as she stared Renji down._

_"Listen, you've got what it takes to be one of the strongest and best the Gotei 13 has to offer. You should know by now I don't offer to train with just anyone, right?" She smirked as she saw something akin to realization dawn across Renji's features. "So, are you going to come at me again or are you just going to lay there and take the beating I'm about to put on you?" _

_Managing to stand to his feet once again, Renji slowly gave his superior a deadly grin and wiped at the remaining blood against his lip before extending his blade. "Then come at me, Omori-san. I'll show you what I'm truly capable of!" _

* * *

Hotaru frowned at the reaction the Shinigami had toward her, floating closer toward him while tilting her head to one side. "What's wrong, Shinigami-san? You look like you've seen a ghost or something. Y'know, that's actually pretty funny considering you're a Shinigami and all."

Her humor, even that was similar... "Akina-san, is...is that you?"

Orchid eyes blinked and she scratched her head in confusion. "Er, who's Akina-san? My name's Hotaru!"

Shaking his head, his eyes never left the set of eyes that looked exactly like his late superiors. "But you look just like her, you have to be..." Renji managed to snap out of the slight trance he was in and put a hand on Zabimaru's hilt. "Are you an Arrancar?"

Grinning brightly as her arms moved behind her back, she shook her head. "Nope! I'm human, I think. Actually I'm not really sure what I am, but I know they found me in the world of the living years ago and took me back to Hueco Mundo!"

Renji just stared at this bright and bubbly version of Omori Akina. "You could be her, only reincarnated. Wait, why are you with the Arrancar? Are you with Aizen?!"

She blinked, not understanding why this shinigami was interrogating her like he knew her. "Of course, who else would I serve under? Since you're a Shinigami, that means you're from the Soul Society, right?"

She flashed quickly and appeared right in front of his face. Renji jumped back, holding Zabimaru right up to the wide-eyed girl's face. "W-What's your problem?! Don't do that!"

Hotaru frowned, crossing her arms and pouting almost childishly. "Aww, what's wrong, Shinigami-san?"

He stared at her in disbelief, unable to get over the striking resemblance. "I just can't believe it, you look just like her…"

She sat cross-legged and floated in front of Renji with a grin. "Well Shinigami-san, who exactly is this Akina that you've confused me with?"

Before Renji could say anything, a gargantua opened and out stepped Tousen. His head turned in the exact direction where he sensed Hotaru to be.

"Hotaru-hime, we must be leaving now. Aizen-sama is very displeased with what Grimmjow has done here tonight."

Sighing, she nodded her head before turning to Renji and shrugging. "Sorry Shinigami-san, it looks like you'll have to tell me about your friend some other time." She walked toward the gargantua but felt fingers grab her wrist. She turned around and her eyes widened as she saw Renji holding onto her with a vise-like grip.

"Please, Akina-san! You can't go back to Aizen!" Tousen turned his head to Renji at that.

Hotaru frowned and tried to pry her wrist out of his grip. "But Shini-"

"No! Not Shingami-san! My name is Abarai Renji! Please Akina, tell me you remember your friends!"

Hotaru's eyes widened at that and she looked to Tousen for help. "Tousen-san, what is he…"

Tousen stepped in between Renji and Hotaru and snatched Hotaru's hand away from Renji's. "Hotaru-hime, step into the gargantua." Hotaru nodded her head and began to walk, looking over her shoulder all the while.

Tousen began to follow her silently until he heard a loud cry of his name.

"Tousen!" Tousen turned around to face the lieutenant. "Tell me what the hell you bastard's did to Akina!"

Turning right back around, he snorted in disdain. "Abarai, we haven't done anything to Akina. You know as well as I do that she tragically died fifteen years ago. We don't have her and we never have, so drop the matter and leave Hotaru-sama be."

Tousen stepped into the portal next to Hotaru who smiled weakly at Renji and waved.

"No! Akina-san!" The portal was closed and Renji was left behind.

"Dammit all to hell! What did they do to you, Akina?!" He had to tell the others, Omori Akina was still alive and Aizen had her captive with no memory of who she was. They'd rescue her, bring her back to the Soul Society, right where she belonged!

* * *

As soon as they had returned to Las Noches, Tousen told Hotaru to stay put in her room and wait for Grimmjow to receive his punishment from Aizen. That had been hours ago and the teen girl was seriously beginning to worry for the Espada.

Sighing, she flopped onto the bed and curled up. She hoped that Grimmjow wouldn't get into too much trouble, especially on her account...

After more time had passed, Hotaru heard something banging against her door. Brightening, she realized the presence on the other side was none other than Grimmjow. She jumped up and ran to open the door, but as soon as she did, Grimmjow fell into her arms.

"Brat!" He hissed through grit teeth, trying to slam the door behind him.

Hotaru's eyes widened as she somehow managed to get Grimmjow to the floor without dropping him. "Grimmjow, what happened?! Why are you bleeding… W-What, your arm! Grimmjow!"

* * *

"So Tousen-san cut off your arm? That's horrible!" Hotaru had just finished cleaning Grimmjow's wound and bandaging where his arm once was and was now listening to why Aizen-sama had allowed Tousen to cut his arm off. "You do realize that Aizen-sama was going to one day snap with the blatant disrespect you give him, right?"

"Che, yeah yeah, but uh..."

"Hmm?" She sat back on her heels and studied the male before her. "What is it?"

Grimmjow stayed silent for a moment before speaking again. "Tousen said he found you with a shinigami… He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Hotaru slightly blushed at the prospect of Grimmjow being concerned for her before realizing it was probably just to make sure Aizen-sama didn't have another reason to do more damage to him. "No, I was fine I promise. He was a little odd I have to say, but right now it's you I'm worried about!"

Grimmjow didn't say anything, eyes narrowing at the blush he saw on her cheeks. What did that Shinigami do to her? "...Hotaru?"

Orchid eyes widened and she put her hand against his forehead. "I think you have a fever! You never call me by my actual name!"

A low growl emitted from Grimmjow as he towered over her and grasped her shoulder. "I'm bein' serious! You could've been hurt, and it would've been my fault! Dammit, Hotaru, you know sometimes I _can_ be worried about you!"

Blinking once, then twice, she slowly smiled and reached a hand up to ruffle at his hair. "I know that, but you just need to focus on getting better so you can start fighting again for Aizen-sama."

Grimmjow turned away, knowing she wasn't going to like what he was about to tell her. "...Aizen took my rank away from me."

"What?! How could he do that?!"

"He said it was cause I put you in harm's way." He stopped when he saw Hotaru's shoulder's shaking and he heard her sniffing. "Hey, are you..." he turned her around to face him and saw that she was indeed crying. It always pissed him off to no end because he always felt something twinge in his gut and he didn't know why.

"Stop that dammit!"

"I can't!" She wailed pathetically. "It's all my fault that Aizen-sama took your rank away from you! You must hate me now! I'm such a burden!" She continued to wipe at her tears, which in turn annoyed the hell out of Grimmjow. Why should she blame herself when it was his fault for being a dumbass?

He snorted before grabbing her arm. Before Hotaru could even say a word, he had pulled her against his firm form with his one arm, squeezing gently. "Listen to me, as long as I'm around and breathin', I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. You got that?"

Hotaru could only silently nod, not able to believe this was happening to her. Grimmjow was actually holding her! She had never been held like this by anyone, least of all the one person she cared for most. She had only dreamed of something like this happening to her, and now it was! Wait, she wasn't dreaming was she?! ...Nope, still being held.

She smiled and slowly laid her head against his chest, content just being in his arms. If only things would just stay like this forever...

* * *

Days later, Hotaru and Grimmjow were walking side by side down the long hall, with Hotaru chattering endlessly about anything in an attempt to cheer Grimmjow up.

"Well, if it isn't the _former_ Sexta and his very attractive subordinate."

Hotaru narrowed her eyes, planting both hands at her hips. "Hello, Luppi. My, you're looking very feminine today. Did you go through my closet recently?"

Grimmjow grinned while Luppi rolled his eyes. "Now now, Hotaru-hime, there's no need for you to be angry at me. It's not my fault that Aizen-sama replaced Grimmjow with someone who's more capable than he is."

Hotaru's eyes flashed in anger and she tried to charge at him. "You smug, arrogant son of a-!" The only thing that stopped her from jumping the Arrancar was Grimmjow wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her to him.

"Come on, Grimmjow! Let me go! I can totally take him on!"

"Brat, he's not worth it. You know that as well as I do."

Hotaru turned to face Grimmjow, eyes narrowed to slits. "But he has no right to say that to your face!"

Grimmjow shook his head before putting Hotaru back to her feet again. "Forget it." Then he smirked, looking Luppi right in the eye. "He said it himself. He's just jealous that you're _my_ subordinate instead of his."

With that, Grimmjow took Hotaru by her hand and led her down the hallway, leaving a very angry Luppi behind.

That fucking bastard! How dare he act like that?! He was the Sexta now! He was! Luppi wanted to hurt Grimmjow where it hurt, but how was he going to do that? He had taken his rank away, all the glory that came along with it, but he didn't seem to care about that. So what was he to do?

Realization hit him as he stared at their backs and his lips slowly curled into a devious grin. So, Hotaru was important to the former Sexta, was she? Well, he was really going to make damn sure that Grimmjow's pride got damaged in the worst way possible. He would ensure that he and his precious Hotaru would never be together again.

* * *

Ikkaku looked up at the night sky. Renji had come back saying that he had seen Omori Akina and that Aizen had brainwashed her to forget about everyone. He shook his head. Akina had died 15 years ago, they'd all heard the reports there was no way she was alive! Fuck they all had mourned for her!

"Why are you up here, Ikkaku?"

He turned around to find Yumichika standing behind him, shaking his head before turning his attention back to the sky. "Nothing, I'm just...Fuck if I even know."

"Wondering if what Renji said was true? About Akina-chan?"

Grunting, he shrugged slightly. "Yeah, I guess so. Do you think it could be true?"

Sitting down by his friend, Yumichika stared up at the night sky as well, pondering just what was truth and what wasn't. "That's hard to say. We all were told that she was dead, but it would be nice to see her, wouldn't it? After all, you and she _were_ sparring partners."

"Yeah, but if she isn't dead, and if Aizen really did brainwash her, then what do we do?"

Yumichika sighed, truly hoping this wasn't the truth of the matter, that Renji was mistaken. "I don't know."

* * *

Hotaru's eyes widened as she stared up at their prestigious leader. "Um, could you say that again?"

Grimmjow was glaring daggers at Aizen, and Luppi. That fucking bastard Luppi had gone behind their backs and requested that Hotaru become his subordinate instead of Grimmjow, and now Aizen had said that it would be a good idea.

Aizen merely smiled down at the young girl. "I know it will be different, Hotaru, but it's for the best. Grimmjow is no longer able to protect you since he is no longer an Espada."

Luppi snorted, flipping a long sleeve back and forth. "Like he was actually able to protect her in the first place."

Hotaru glared at Luppi, pointing a finger at him. "You shut up! This is all your fault!"

Luppi smugly smirked at the girl, taking a step closer to her. "You might wish to be nicer to me since I'm in charge of you. You're _mine_ now."

Eyes widening, Hotaru spit at Luppi's feet. "Go to hell, bastard! I'll never be yours!" She then turned and stomped out of the room.

Grimmjow grinned before walking out of the room to follow her. "Way to go Luppi, can't even control one girl. Very impressive for being the new Sexta."

* * *

Hotaru lay on her bed, punching at the poor pillows until the seams ripped and the stuffing went flying everywhere. "It's not fair! I want to stay with Grimmjow!"

"Yeah, well we can't all get what we want sometimes."

The girl sat up and glared at Grimmjow. "Why the hell do you keep waltzing into my room without knocking?! Don't you know that's rude?!"

Great, she was in a mood. Maybe it was that time of month or something... "Brat, I know that this sucks, but..."

She threw her pillow at him, inwardly smug as it hit him square in the face. "You don't care! I'm just a brat to you! You don't give a shit that I'll have to serve under that stupid fucktwat, who I am fairly certain is sneaking into my closet and stealing my things, and I won't be able to be around you and-!"

She was stopped by Grimmjow wrapping his arm around her small form, hovering over her now. "Brat, as long as I'm here, I'm gonna protect you and keep you by my side. How many times do I gotta tell you that?"

Hotaru's cheeks flared with a blush as she nodded, unable to speak. Grimmjow smirked and gently pulled her down onto her bed, tugging her closer to his chest.

Hotaru's face turned a hundred different shades of red at the close contact. "Just sleep, Hotaru. Damn, I swear you just need to relax sometimes."

"Y-Yeah, well why don't you take your own advice from time to time?"

He chuckled at that which made her smile. She liked to hear him laugh, it was a nice deep sound... Yawning, she felt sleep try to take over and closed her eyes, feeling safe and secure in Grimmjow's arms.

Grimmjow smirked as he heard her gentle breathing, and realized that she had fallen asleep. He looked down at her face, looking at her features. She really was cute. She looked so content and peaceful with a smile on her face.

"Grimm…" She murmured in her sleep, scooting even closer to him.

Cyan-colored eyes slightly widened. Was she dreaming of him? And if so, why the fuck would she? Before he himself even realized what he was doing, he had slowly lowered his head to her face and gently brushed his lips against her forehead. He jumped up as Hotaru moved even closer to him.

Why the fuck did he just do that?! She was the brat! She was Hotaru-hime, Aizen's precious thing he wanted protected, the kid he had rescued when she was only four years old!

Hotaru moaned from the loss of contact. Grimmjow looked down at her and sighed. Instead of leaving, he wrapped his arm around her and stayed with her, to do just as he promised, to protect her and keep her by his side always. Damn it, why did he feel like he had just signed his own death warrant?

* * *

**Soooooo there we go! Chapter 2 in all it's horrible glory! LOL Please read and review, but no flames! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope y'all are still enjoying reading along! Time for the next installment! If you followed along with the former version of this fic please note that this chapter along with almost every other chapter I post here has been edited! Thank you! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in here except for Hotaru and any other OC's you might see.**

* * *

Hirako Hoshiko sighed as she leaned against the arm of the sofa in the middle of the large warehouse. Kurosaki Ichigo had just run out of the warehouse as though there were a fire somewhere and she knew instantly why he had left his training. With a groan, the only non-Visored in the warehouse ran a hand through her long brown curls before slowly smiling as she felt a pair of long arms wrap around her waist.

"Eh? What's eatin' at you, Hoshi?"

Soft amber eyes shifted to the side to meet with a pair of brown orbs, glinting mischievously at her. Those same orbs belonged to the bane of her existence, and the great love of her life. For over a century now Hoshiko had put up with this man, his many faults and flaws and had loved him for every single one of those things that others may find irritating about him. Of course that wasn't to say Hoshiko didn't find him irritating as hell on a regular basis herself, she was his wife after all and she knew him best. Shaking her head, she slid off the armrest, allowing Shinji to tug her closer to him and slipped into Shinji's lap, resting her cheek against his chest with a happy sigh.

"Nothing is wrong, I just worry about Ichigo...You saw how he ran out of here. He's going to be careless, sloppy," She shook her head again, her lips curling to a small frown this time. "He'll be lucky if he doesn't get himself killed by the Arrancar! I mean you all were supposed to-!"

Before Hoshiko could continue with her worries over the Kurosaki boy, Shinji made quick of silencing her by pressing his lips over her own soft ones. Pulling back with a wink, he gently slid his wife off his lap onto the sofa with ease. Grabbing his coat, he headed to the opening of the warehouse, looking over his shoulder with a knowing grin.

"Don't you worry 'bout him, babe. I never planned on letting the dumbass kid stay out there all alone. We all know he's not ready to keep his hollow mask on for more than a few seconds at a time, so I'll be goin' out to make sure he doesn't die on us." Shinji gave a shit-eating grin at the narrowed eyes his lovely little wife was giving him at that moment. "Seriously, I'll be back before you even know it."

With that, he flash-stepped out of the warehouse, leaving his wife fuming at how infuriating the man could be at times...Well at least he was good in the sack, she managed to think to herself with a snarky smirk. As Love sat down where her husband had only been sitting seconds before, she reached over and snatched the latest edition of Jump out of his hands, curling up on the sofa while she waited for Shinji to return.

Something made her worry though, she just couldn't put her finger on it...

* * *

Ikkaku looked over from his meditation to Toshiro. "Oi!"

Toshiro sighed, cracking one eye open before looking over at the third seat. "If this is about Akina, I don't want to hear it."

Ikkaku narrowed his eyes to slits, arms crossing as he stared the taichou down. "Yeah, but what if it really is true! What if there's a chance she didn't really die? Don't you want to know if our friend is still alive?!"

Toshiro looked away in an attempt to end the conversation. "We were all close to Akina-san, but she died 15 years ago, there's nothing we can do about it." Teal eyes narrowed as the other man shook his head furiously, opening his mouth to speak.

"But if there's a chance she's alive, don't you at least want to know if-"

Yumichika sensing that things were about to get to their breaking point walked over and offered a friendly smile. "Ikkaku, let's not worry with things of the past, not now at least. Don't you want to spar instead?" Ikkaku knew that he was only trying to help out and get his mind off Akina, but it didn't really help at all.

Sighing, Ikkaku hopped off the rock he had sat on and froze in place, his head snapping up as a garganta opened and a group of Arrancar were made visible.

"Well, if it isn't the Shinigami! Now we won't have to search for you!" One of the Arrancar sneered as they all peered down at the group below.

"Hey!" Toshiro, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Rangiku all stared in a mixture of horror and shock as at a young raven-haired girl jumped out from behind the group of Arrancar, frowning and crossing her arms in an almost pout. "Aw, it looks like the one I wanted to talk to isn't here. Hey! Have you guys seen a Shinigami with red hair and tattoos around here?"

Yumichika was the first to react, eyes widening as much as they possibly could. "It's…you." Without waiting for a response from the others, he used quick flash-step to appear directly in front of girl with the same face as his friend. "Akina...by the gods, Renji was right! You are alive!" Before Hotaru could react, she felt the man grab her in a bone-crunching hug.

Hotaru pushed away from the Shinigami with strange-looking eyebrows who was clutching at her tightly. "My name's Hotaru, not Akina! I don't know who this woman is or was, but why does everyone keep mistaking me for her?!"

Grimmjow's cyan eyes narrowed as he pulled Hotaru next to him, keeping her flush against his form. He didn't know why, but to see Hotaru in such a state of different emotions did something to him that he didn't like. "Hey brat, get outta here. Just stay out of trouble and be safe." He murmured, taking her smaller hand in his, squeezing her hand gently before letting go. Hotaru turned her head, looking up at Grimmjow with a nod. Smiling slightly, she quickly sped off in the opposite direction.

"Akina!"

* * *

Hotaru finally stopped to catch her breath. Who was Akina? Why did the Shinigami keep calling her that? Maybe Aizen-sama knew more about it...

"Well well, it looks as though the rumors that Akina has a lookalike running around were true after all!"

Hotaru froze in place, whipping her head as she looked all around the vicinity for the voice. "Where did that…"

"I'm down here!" Hotaru looked down to find a tall, dark-skinned woman with golden eyes smiling at her.

The woman grinned, showing brilliant white teeth as she looked Hotaru over. "Wow, Abarai was right, you do look like Akina-chan!"

Hotaru's orchid eyes widened. Finally! Someone in this damned place realized she wasn't this Akina person! "So, you know that I'm not Akina, right?"

The woman began to laugh. "Of course you're not!" Hotaru inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "Akina-chan was much more beautiful and graceful than you appear to be!"

The younger girl nearly fell from her place in the air, not expecting _that_ kind of answer. Well...At least she acknowledged that she was not this Akina person. It was a start, right?

"So, Akina's doppelganger, what exactly is your name?"

The younger girl gave a small smile. Even though she didn't know this woman, didn't know if she could be trusted, she felt a connection of sorts... "My name's Hotaru."

"And I'm Yoruichi. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Hotaru-chan."

* * *

Hotaru sighed. She had followed Yoruichi back to this shop and had been sitting in this room for what seemed like an eternity. She thought about what Grimmjow and the other Arrancar might be doing and groaned.

She slammed her hands on the table in frustration. "That's it! I can't wait here any longer, Grimmjow might need my help!"

"Well, if that's how you feel…"

Hotaru whirled around and felt her entire face pinken in embarrassment. "Ah I'm sorry! I…I didn't mean to be so rude, Yoruichi-san."

Yoruichi waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it," She smirked. "You know, Akina didn't have much patience either. But what I'm more curious about now is who is this Grimmjow?"

Hotaru's face flushed a scarlet color this time. "H-He's just a friend. N-Nothing important..." She lamely whispered.

Yoruichi barked out a laugh at this claim. "Doesn't sound like 'just a friend'. Sounds to me like you have a thing for the Arrancar."

Hotaru's eyes widened at the term Yoruichi casually called out. "How did you…"

"Know that he was an Arrancar? Well, you have been living with the Arrancar in Hueco Mundo since you were a child, right?"

Hotaru was now more confused than ever and wailed pathetically in frustration. "How do you know that about me? I've never met you until today!"

Yoruichi smiled at Hotaru, completely ignoring her question as she continued speaking. "Well, Hotaru-chan, how about a deal? If you listen to a story I want to tell you, then I'll tell you how I know all about you?"

Hotaru was skeptical, but she wanted to know how this woman knew so much about her. "Fine, but make this quick, I need to find Grimmjow."

"That's fine, after I finish my story, you can go find your lover boy." She winked at Hotaru, whose face was now one of horror.

"H-He's not my…Well, what I mean is…Damn it! I don't like him like that!"

A huge grin appeared on Yoruichi's face and she leaned in closer to the young girl. "Ohh, really? It doesn't appear that way to me…But moving on," Hotaru was grateful for the change of topic. "Where to start…I guess the best way would be to start with... Once there was a young Shinigami heiress from one of the four noble houses in Sereitei. She was very beautiful and was loved by all who knew her."

Hotaru groaned, not liking the fairytale-style theme the story was having so far. "Is this as good as the story gets?"

A soft chuckle was given. "No, trust me, it gets better…Now where was I? This young heiress passed through the Academy and after graduating was given 4th seat in Squad 5 under Hirako Shinji..."

Suddenly, a huge flash of reiatsu passed over the building and Hotaru's eyes widened.

"Grimmjow," She gasped, scrambling to stand up. "I'm sorry, but I have to go now!" With that, she ran and flashed out of the building, beginning her chase after Grimmjow.

Yoruichi sighed and shook her head as she headed to the door, leaning against the frame. "You know, she's more like you than she realizes, Akina." She smirked as she pondered the many ways things could turn out for this girl.

* * *

Grimmjow had almost defeated Kurosaki, if it weren't for that damned female Shinigami! Then, right before he had killed her, another male appeared and stopped him again! The fuck was up with that?!

Grimmjow growled in frustration as the blond man matched his every move with great ease.

"Eh what's wrong, Arrancar?"

Grimmjow merely smirked, grabbing his zanpakutou and charged at Hirako Shinji.

Shinji sighed, rolling his eyes from pure annoyance. "Man, you're a hot head." He placed his hand on his face and a hollow mask began to form.

Grimmjow's eyes widened as Shinji attacked, the phaoraoh mask now on his face as he met each move Grimmjow made with one of his own. He kept trying to keep up with the new face until finally, Grimmjow was knocked into the asphalt as Shinji surprisingly used a perfect cero.

Shinji flashed in front of where Grimmjow landed, but before Shinji could deliver the final blow, he was stopped by a blur standing between him and the arrancar.

The 'blur' stood in front of Grimmjow with her arms spread. "I won't let you hurt Grimmjow!"

Shinji's eyes widened and he was instantly taken back to his years as a captain, back when he had a fourth seat that looked just like the girl. This girl looked exactly like her, the same hair, same facial features, those same eyes... "Akina?"

"Damn it brat! I told you to stay away and be safe!" Grimmjow snarled, clenching his zanpakutou with a death grip.

The girl's orchid eyes slightly widened and she huffed, all the while ignoring Grimmjow. "Again?" A sigh was given as she shook her head. "Man, I wish people would get it right!" Turning to Shinji again, she growled. "My name is Hotaru, not Akina! Got it memorized? Ho-Ta-Ru!" She placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.

Shinji had to take a step back. She looked just like her when she did that! "I don't know what happened to you, Akina, but I really don't want to have to attack you." He lifted his zanpakutou toward the girl. "But I will if I have to." This distraction gave Grimmjow an opportunity to strike back. He grabbed Hotaru and forced her to stand behind him so he could attack, but he was stopped by Ulquiorra grabbing his arm.

Hotaru's eyes widened and a soft gasp escaped the young girl's lips. "Ulquiorra-senpai." Her voice came out a whimper and she inched herself closer to Grimmjow.

"Grimmjow, we're going." A bright light surrounded Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, and Hotaru, taking them back to Las Noches before anyone could even say a word about it.

Shinji stared at the place where they had just been standing moments before. He just couldn't wrap his head around this information. Akina was alive and the rumors had been false! But it appeared she had forgotten everything and everyone from her life in the Sereitei.

He vowed to make Aizen pay for making his wife's closest friend forget about everything. He was going to make Aizen pay for every single thing he had done to them all and if all went well, he would be the one to put his blade through that bastard's heart.

* * *

**Dun dun dun! What's going to happen next? Keep on reading to find out! Hope everyone enjoyed reading a little about another OC of mine, Hoshiko! More will come from her as the story continues.  
**

**Please as always read and review!  
**


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